Shell.



Cav

lALFRED J.' SODEN, OF NEWARK, NEVI* JERSEY.

SHELL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patenta Apr. lie, QUB.

Application filed May 9, 1911. Serial No. 626,019.

To @ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED J. SODEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Xewark, in the county of VEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shells; and l do hereby declare the followingv to'be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to iigures of reference marked thereon, whichA form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to an improved shell and is designed to provide an armorpiercing projectile provided with an explosive chamber,A the walls between the outside su'rface and the explosive chamber being of a formation to provide for the stability of the projectile making the shell less liable to compress on the impact, and at the same time to provide points of fracture so that pressure from the inside causes a shattering of the shell.

rIhe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the single gure shown therein is half section and'halfelevation of an armor-piercing projectile made according to my invention. A

The projectile consists of a body portion 10 which has a pointed front end 11, the point 12 of which is adapted to strike the armor or structure hit by the shell irst. The bourrelet' 13 is placed at the point of the shell where desired, and the outside '14 of the remainder of the shell terminates in the back of the shell 15 which back is provided with a base-plug 16, which base-plug is shown in the illustration as being solid, although any of the usual types of baseplugs can be used. The rotating band 17 in the band score can be of the usual type, and l do not claim any invention in this portion of the device.

Nithin the shell and extending from the back toward the front is a recess rforming a chamber 18, the walls of the chamber being.

Able to compression on impact.

the shell that provides for great resistance against pressurefrom the outside, that is, makes the shell resist compression because the grooves, especially the curved type of groove, give a trussed form to the walls of the chamber and thus make the shell less lia-4 nt the same time these grooves give a comparatively thin `strip of material between their innermost point and the outside surface of the shell, and these thinned parts, as at 20, provide points of fracture where the shell will sepa-` rate and be easily shattered when the charge in the chamber is exploded. The grooves 19 also provide meansA for preventing the movement of the charge within the chamber l Vby engaging or being engaged by the charge and preventing longitudinal movement thereof. This is particularly true when the chamber is /lled with a liquid explosive which solidities after it is in place, and by running into the grooves 19and hardening' therein, the charge is in ztedposition and is not liable to any movement.

In the illustration I show the preferred form of shell in which the grooves 19 become smaller toward the lfrontof the shell, that is, smaller toward the front part of the chamber 18 which is made narrower so as to thicken tle walls of the shell. yThis type ispreferred because the strain at the moment of penetration is greatest from the point to the bourrelet, and the shell being solid at these points, the shell is more apt to remain intact and penetrate more directly through the armor or other structure it hits.

The compressionto which the projectile is subjected toward the rear thereof after the point and the bourrelet have penetrated, is resisted by the trussed form of wall shown Ain cross-section in the drawing, which trussed form however does not resist the in- .termal pressure caused by the explosion of ies lever, is considered essential to give the best narrower toward its frontend and being provided with substantially transversely arranged grooves, the grooves becoming shallower toward the narrower or front portion of the explosive chamber. y

A. projectile having an explosivechamber therein, the explosive chamber ing provided with a series of annular groo es, which grooves are substantially transversely arranged, the grooves becoming shallower and farther apart toward the front of the chamber.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, l have hereunto set my' hand this 4th day of May 1911.

ALFRED J. SODEN. l/Vitnesses gWM. H. CAMMELD, M. A. JOHNSON. 

